Historical circumstances of intellectual growth of classical Muslim philosophers given in the works of Josef van Ess i Marshall G. S. Hodgson

Abstract

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This article deals with historical circumstances that shaped the thought of classical Muslim philosophers as given in the works of Josef van Ess i Marshall G. S. Hodgson. Here we primarily considered their works Theology and Society in the Second and Third Century of the Hijra of Josef van Ess (along with his book The Flowering of Muslim Theology) and The Venture of Islam by Hodgson. In the initial part of this article, the Islamic philosophy in general is discussed as it is presented in these works. Some connections to kalam and foreign influence is also related here in brief. These connections are mentioned here to position the philosophy with regard to the orthodox teaching upheld by kalam, and which in the case of philosophy is made questionable due to the influence of neighbouring traditions. Following is the discussion about philosophy itself within the perspective of the society of the time with a special focus on elitism.  Naturally, no discourse about the social background is possible without involving the talk about the political reality of the time. In the concluding part of this article, the author discusses differences in the approach of the two authors.